History of New Englia
UNDER CONSTRUCTION =Pre-colonial= Not much is known about the area prior to 2348, as the Irish tribes that inhabited the area did not keep many records and those that did exist were often destroyed by the early colonists. It is thought that the Irish migrated to the area in about 1000, either displacing or assimilating an earlier local native people. Certainly artifacts suggest a major cultural shift from an almost stone-age culture to a Celtic bronze age at this time. The Irish are believed to have been moving through the Rift Mountains after leaving their Welsh forebears on the Northern Plain. =Colonial Period= Lucasite Colony (2348) In 2348, Peter Lucas demanded that a colony be set up, in order to expand the power of Kirlawa and to form a legacy. To this day, the central province and it's capital are named Lucasia after him. There have been attempts to change this in the past, but there is considerable local resistance. The Lucasite colonists were largely fanatical fascists, and they had no respect for the native people. On arrival, they enslaved thousands and massacred whole villages in order to establish control. For the first few decades, conditions for the Irish were terrible, and many fled into the Rift Mountains. In 2369 the Lucas regime was defeated in the Second Civil War, but due to the considerable need for reconstruction the Kirlawan authorities were unable to exert control over the colony. Many Lucasites fled Kirlawa for New Englia at this time, including Peter Lucas' grandson Peter Lucas III, who in 2374 took personal control of the colony. By the 2380s, Kirlawa was sufficiently stable to be able to send a fleet to take control from the colonists. There was a guerilla war fought by hardline Lucasites, but when Peter Lucas III was killed in action in 2389 resistance largely melted away. Colonial Reform (2389-2416) After 2389 the colony of New Englia was split into three provinces, each named after their major town. The governor of each province was appointed directly by the Kirlawan President, and had full control over domestic affairs. Each Province had a provincial council made up of Kirlawan citizens, dominated by the landed class. Only full Kirlawans with property had the right to vote. Slavery was abolished as the Kirlawan Republic gained control, with their owners receiving compensation. Larger plantations were broken up, but the land was still almost totally owned by Kirlawan colonists. The ex-slaves often became indentured labourers and while they gained a few rights, were not much better off in material terms for some time. During the early years of the 25th Century, a communist insurgency grew up in remote areas, and the Governors clamped down on dissent. In 2416, Kirlawa attempted to move towards more far-reaching reforms, and invited interested nations to a conference on the future of New Englia. At the time, Dovani conciousness was not high, and few countries attended. The New Englian governors did not favour full independence, as they feared that the communists would incite a full revolution, so the only proposal that was acceptable to all was to move gradually towards Home Rule as the rebellion was put down. It took until the 2430s before much reform took place. The franchise was extended to all full Kirlawans regardless of property status in 2341. In 2348 this was further changed to include all ethnic Artanians and mixed-race creoles. The Irish and other Dovanis did not get citizenship until the New Englian Reform Act of 2479. During the 2450s the powers of the Governors were steadily reduced, with more being handed to the Provincial Councils. The Kirlawan government still held power of veto over many areas of policy. The Irish population were at this time able to enjoy more civil rights, and after the depression of 2464-8 the power of the plantation-owners declined. Industry started to become a more important feature of the New Englian economy and the mineral resources of the Rift Mountains fed it with coal, iron and tin. The Irish were able to take up less menial employment and enter skilled work. This fuelled the calls for further reform. The 2479 Reforms not only granted all adults in New Englia full democratic and civil rights, but also reduced the direct influence of the Kirlawan state. The Governors were reduced to figureheads, with only their judicial functions remaining relatively intact. The Provincial Councils were renamed the Provincial Assemblies, and their practices were formalised. At a national level, the New Englian Congress was formed to act as the main government. It's members were initially nominated by the Assemblies alone, but in 2532 it was decided to have 40% of the members elected on a PR basis. From this point on, Kirlawa no longer considered New Englia to be a colony, but a dependant protectorate. The government declared that the 2416 pledge to bring Home Rule had at last been fulfilled. Home Rule (2671) The period after the 25th Century reforms were largely stable, and the economy blossomed. Trade with other parts of Dovani developed, and the port of New Indrala became the largest city on the back of exports to Artania. The capital moved to New Indrala from Lucasia in 2671. Irish nationalism was always bubbling up in the background, but a succession of Liberal governments in this period did much to placate the feelings of most natives. Calls for full independence were often made, but the established political class managed to persuade most voters that a change in the status quo would lead to instability. Non-Irish Dovanis were wary of some Irish rhetoric, particularly when some members of the most hardline pro-independence party, Sinn Féin (Gaelic for 'We Ourselves') talked about the 'purity' of the Irish culture. The Lucasites remained a constant factor in the politics of New Englia, particularly in Lucasia. They provided a brake to independence by threatening civil war in the event of loosening of ties to Kirlawa. The Lucas family had a considerable business empire, and a significant minority of Kirlawans hankered for the colonial days. During the 27th Century, the generally stable nature of New Englia continued. The three main political parties, the centre-left New Dawn Party, the libertarian Liberals and the traditionally conservative Family Alliance dominated and all pursued a generally pro-Kirlawan policy. The independence movement coalesced around the Englian Independence Party in 2654. Where Sinn Féin called for an Irish state immediately, the EIP preferred to work within the political system and effect gradual change. While they supported the minority Liberal governments of 2672-4, 2682-7 and 2697-9, they achieved little. New Englian Crisis (2702-2724) In February 2702, the Kazulian Stortinget (parliament) started to discuss a Bill calling for the annexation of New Englia with the goal of bringing it under full Dovani control. The bill appeared to have majority support, but did not go straight to the vote. On hearing of the Bill, the NDP government of New Englia ordered mobilisation of the armed forces. This was considered to be an over-reaction by many, and it resulted in Kazulian hired mercenaries moving to the border. The Kirlawan government called for calm (while insisting that they would act to defend New Englia against aggression), and called for an international conference to discuss New Englia's future. At the end of the conference, it was decided that New Englia would become an independent nation. =Transitional Period= Independence (2780) First 3 Years (2780-2783) New Constitution (2785) =29th Century= Scandal of the Century (2804) Conservative Rule (2804-2816) Conflict with Indrala (2812-2823) Rise of Progressivism (2816-2830) New Englia in Space (2819-2840) Expansion to 25 Provinces (2837-2838) Great Recession of 2840 (2840-2855) Economic Recovery (2862-2870) Infrastructure Reform (2884) Economic Growth (2884-2892) =30th Century= Conservative Era (2945-2996) After the election of Asami Fujiwara as Governor-General, the country was thrust into an era dominated by conservative politics. Fujiwara, her predecessors and the Colonial Party have successfully instituted policies such as the Barnes Act which loosened regulation of the stock market and banks, the Pay-Go Act which requires Congress to only pass bills that are payed for in the long run and don't increase the budget deficit and the Family Values Act which prohibits gays and lesbians from adopting children. These policies have given New Englia economic growth, but have also cast a shadow on the nation. During these past 38 years, the number of people in debt has risen to historic highs, the number of bank failures has been increasing every year since 2972 and there has been increased volitility in the stock market. Many economists feel that this era of conservative politics might be the cause for a future economic depression sometime in the near future. New-Dawn Party and Freedom Party Merge (2982) On November 30, 2982 the New-Dawn Party and the Freedom Party merged together to form the largest party in the country. The merger left the country with only one liberal party among 3 other conservative parties. The move was in response to the numerous problems of the Freedom Party which included lack of public support for a socialist party and bankruptcy. Return of Sinn Féin (2982) The former pro-independence party Sinn Féin, returned to the federal level of politics after spending lying dormant for over 300 years. The new party is fascist in nature and has drawn criticism for their nationalistic rhetoric and has stated it wants a nation of only "pure Irish humans" and not foreigners who have "soiled the ground of there ancestors". They also operated a paramilitary wing, known as the "Irish Revolutionary Front (IRF) which was legal according to federal law, but drew fire from politicians including Governor-General Naida Aleksashkin who believed it was a terrorist organization. Contraction to 5 Provinces (2985) Irish Revolutionary Front and Sinn Féin Split (2989) In 2989, the Irish Revolutionary Front (IRF) officially split from Sinn Féin due to their differences of opinion over protesting; the IRF favored of a much more "forceful approach" while Sinn Féin favor a "peaceful approach". Peter Lucas Day Terrorist Attacks (2990) On April 15, 2990, the paramilitary force known as the Irish Revolutionary Front (IRF), carried out three separate terrorist attacks within a period of less than 30 minutes resulting in the death of 55 people. The first attack occurred at 9:52 am at Peter Lucas-New Englia International Airport and involved the plane carrying the Governor-General Naida Aleksashkin, Vice-General Anna Blackwell and Speaker of the Assembly Eddie Fitzhugh who were on there way to an event to honor Peter Lucas. During takeoff, the plane was shot down by a rocket and instantly burst into flames killing the Governor-General, Vice-General, Speaker of the Assembly and the two pilots. The second attack took place at the Mall of West Englia at 10:08 am and involved a pipe bomb hidden in a trash can exploding killing 52 and injuring 90. The third and final attack occurred outside of Parliament Hall at 10:18 am when a bomb was detonated inside a trash can. No one was injured as Congress was sent home for fear of terrorist attacks following the attack on the Governor-General. So far, no one person(s) have been tied to the attacks though, the IRF has claimed responsibility for coordinating all the attacks. =31st Century= IRF Threatens War (3006) Following the election of Benjamin Riles-Scott, the Irish Revolutionary Front (IRF) issued a statement that threatened war with New Englia if certain demands were not met. Governor-General Benjamin Riles-Scott at first down played the idea of a military involvement with the radical group comparing them to "a baby without a bottle" and declared the riots in Lucasia as "nothing more than hot air." Following the incident, Riles-Scott suddenly underwent a change of tune and has said openly that he is considering sending troops to Lucas Province to arrest and expel members of the IRF. Election of 3011 (3011) The election of 3011 didn't change the make up of Congress or the leadership in the provinces themselves, but it did provide the starting point for what some consider the start of civil war in New Englia. The election was won by Secretary of Foreign Affaris Jay Haviland of the National Alliance, which is a political party that split from the Colonial Party in protest to there policies. Haviland beat multi-millionaire H.L. Forrester of the Progressive Party with 48% of the vote to his 25%. Incumbent Governor-General Benjamin Riles-Scott came in last with a disappointing 10% of the vote. The election of Jay Haviland was considered to be dangerous as he'd openly expressed seeking war against the IRF. Crisis in New Englia (3011) On April 27, in protest to the election of Jay Haviland and his welsh only government, Lucas Province voted successfully to secede from New Englia and formed their own country named the Irish Republic of Dovani. As soon as Governor-General Jay Haviland received the news, he declared his intention to seek congressional approval of war against the breakaway republic. He followed this by signing Executive Order 003, the third ever issued in the country's history which authorized the ban of Sinn Féin and the arrest of their members. In a controversial address to congress, Haviland would go on to say: Englian Civil War (3011-3024) On October 8, 3011, after more than 4 months of debate, the Defense Mobilization Act was put up for a vote in Congress. It would pass the National Assembly by a vote of 230 to 50 and in the Senate by a vote of 33 to 15 (Sinn Féin was barred from voting due to Executive Order 003). Two days later, it was signed by the Governor-General and Secretary of Defense and war was officially declared. For over 13 years, war would rage across the entire nation. Reconstruction (3038) Under the administration of Burton Howell, the reconstruction of the nation began. Howell's "3 Point Plan" which calls for the reconstruction of the infrastructure, culture and economy was very successful as it alleviated the tension in the country and lowered the unemployment rate to below 7%. The economic part created programs that hired people and even increased the number of workers who worked for the federal government. The plan even enticed businesses to return to the nation by drastically lowering the corporate tax rate. It succeeded culturally as the government made an effort to ensure the rights of all Irish citizens are not infringed and trampled upon as they were during the past 300 years. The government formally apologized for its actions of alleged discrimination against the Irish and instituted affirmative action and other laws which made it easier for the Irish to receive a fair chance in this country. The plan however, didn't deliver on the infrastructure part as most of the projects were never started since the allocation of funds, which was left at the hands of the provinces, was poorly handled. Money was used mostly to fund social services and in one case, was used to provide a pay raise for the elected officials in one province. Constitutional Convention of 3092 (3092) =32nd Century= New Englia Purchase (3169) =33rd Century= Independence (3206) =Links= New Englia